Joel Embiid comes of age as an All-Star in MVP-worthy season | Sports Daily Newsletter

The MVP race in the NBA is still to be decided, but one thing seems clear: The big man will be right in the middle of things.

Even before the All-Star festivities began, Joel Embiid’s emphatic game against Milwaukee announced to the world how serious he is this season about playing at his absolute best as much as he can. Despite persistent wrist soreness, he poured in 42 points to push the Sixers to victory over the Bucks.

In the All-Star Game itself, on a day when other Sixers legends were honored, Embiid didn’t duck from comparisons or take the night off. Instead, he soaked in the atmosphere with his young son and made his case for his strongest season yet with another quality performance.

In short, all signs indicate Embiid has come into his own and is flexing the power his potential always indicated. Sixers fans eager to see how well Embiid in top form combines with James Harden are impatiently awaiting the debut of the duo together on the floor.

— Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport

Tell us, what stat lines do you expect from Harden and Embiid when they finally play together for the Sixers in their first game? Give your predictions: sports.daily@inquirer.com

Yes, there’s plenty of talk about how the Eagles should make an upgrade at quarterback. But there are risks in the pursuit of that upgrade when Howie Roseman and the Eagles’ brain trust should really focus their attention on building the rest of the roster to help the quarterback.

That’s the position columnist David Murphy is taking, as he writes, “Focus on all of the other positions where elite playmakers are easier to find.” Jalen Hurts might not be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, but he produced for the Eagles. And with the right amount of talent around Hurts, which Roseman had said would be the philosophy for building around the quarterback, the team can stay in the race.

Embiid took the court to represent the 76ers as an All-Star starter during the 2022 All-Star Weekend in Cleveland. He punched in points early and often as he continued to provide highlights for an MVP-caliber season.

But he wasn’t the only Sixers player honored on Sunday. Newly acquired James Harden joined Julius Erving, Charles Barkley, Billy Cunningham, and Allen Iverson as players in town to to be named as members of the NBA’s 75th-anniversary team. Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer, Moses Malone, and Dolph Schayes were also placed on the team.

It was all part of All-Star Game festivities captured by The Inquirer’s Keith Pompey.

Next: The Sixers get a welcome break from competition, with their next game coming on Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

There haven’t been too many positives for the Flyers this season, but the play of depth center Scott Laughton has been a rare bright spot.

The former first-round pick has 10 goals this season and is on pace to set career highs in goals (13) and points (32). Laughton has scored in four of the last six games and has taken on added leadership responsibilities while wearing the “A” as an assistant captain because of injuries to Kevin Hayes and Sean Couturier.

Next: The Flyers are back in action Monday at 3 p.m. against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Three own goals in an international game by the same player is a record, and an infamous one at that. But while the She Believes Cup tournament match between New Zealand and the United States might be remembered for Meikayla Moore’s massively unlucky day, it’s worth noting that the Americans were on the comeback from a dour opening draw against the Czech Republic, with a host of new faces eager to prove themselves in fighting for a spot on Vlatko Andonovski’s roster. Andrea Canales has the story from California.

In 1996, the Sixers racked up (or down, depending on one’s view) the team’s lowest-ever point total in history, losing, 66-57, to the Miami Heat, one of 64 losses that season that eventually helped the team earn the rights to the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft: Allen Iverson.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Andrea Canales, Jonathan Tannenwald, Keith Pompey, Olivia Reiner, David Murphy, Lochlahn March, and Joey Piatt.